worthwhile experience all around. vibe is business casual: staff was courteous. I have no complaints

Malones Grill is now a bakery. It just opened today. It's a French patisserie. They have French fair and cocktails.

I stopped in for dinner and a drink with a friend after not being here for close to five or six years. The best thing about this place is the fact that they remodeled it and the back area is fairly clean and nice. My main issues with Malones are poor service, extremely high prices, and mediocre at best food. I ordered two fish tacos for $18. The fish was greasy and fishy tasting. The tacos were full of red cabbage and radicchio and had a very strange flavor. A 12 ounce beer at nine dollars is pretty crazy. For whatever reason I decided to order a second really expensive beer from the bar and that's when things went kind of sideways. The bartenders attitude was pretty bad. No smile no greeting no thank you, pretty much nothing. He grabs the $10 bill stuck it in his pocket threw me a dollar and slid the beer to me. My guess is that $10 bill will never end it end up in the business till. When you consider the two beers and two mediocre tacos cost almost 50 bucks after tax and tip you'd expect great food and great service. Neither of these were true. Not likely that I'll come back. read more

I just moved to the area and heard this place had the BEST burgers. Well, they were right! But not just that. The truffle fries were amazing and the grilled artichokes were delish! Also the owner, Taylor is down to earth and super chill. The bartender Rich always has a smile on his face and is super nice and makes everyone at the bar feel welcome. All of the wait staff/servers are super friendly. Just a great place for any occasion. Family dinner, girls dinner out, date night. This will be a frequent spot for me. read more

Malone's Grille - Hitchcock Burger & Truffle Fries - American Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

This new ownership has ruined one of the best restaurants. It's was overpriced but so good before, now it's just a ripoff. You can tell that the quality is not the same what so ever. Burgers now suck, along with the Brussel sprouts. The only thing I think tasted the same was the spicy Malone. It's sad they ruined a great restaurant. I'll spend my money any place but here. read more

Always enjoy the burgers here. Wish I wasn't such a wimp but they have a spicy brussels sprout app (bacon with Sriracha). I've tried it I love brussels sprouts, but it's got a kick. I enjoy just chilling on the patio with a cold one while I wait for my To Go order. Because who really wants to cook.?!??! 10/10 coming back. Excellent place for blossoming musicians. Not uncommon to find music playing. Did not assess it for vegan vegetarian options, but they've seemed adaptable on most things, so I'm guessing that they can customize read more

Malone's Grille - Can confirm dog patio is still great. See the steel bowl of water for the little pets and big ones too. - American Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

Current owner and previous owner should be ashamed of themselves. This was one of the best restaurants in Scotts Valley at one time. Service food quality have all been going downhill over the last five years They used to have the best burgers and steaks and the coldest beers in the Santa Cruz mountains. Now it's an over priced tourist trap just like the other restaurants the current owners read more

We stopped by Malone's for an impromptu date night and were pleasantly surprised by a tasty meal. We were quite hungry having come straight from work. We ordered the buffalo roasted cauliflower and duck wontons as appetizers and some pretty cool cocktails. The cauliflower was very good and the cocktails delicious! If you find yourself in Scotts Valley on a casual date, try out Malone's! read more

Happy they reopened.... Nice atmosphere and fireplace is a draw on a cold windy day. Had the French dip with salad. Ranch has a touch of horseradish and very good! Nice wines and tons of draft beers for those beer drinkers. Jimmy was a gracious and friendly server. Will be dialed in by spring for music and patio fun! read more

Malone's Grille - Bar area - American Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

We came here for dinner on a very warm day. Malone's has a nice, large outdoor patio. The food was awe filled.they should be embarrassed to serve this stuff. The brisket sandwich was so dry and tough that it was like eating beef jerky in a bun. The fish tacos were greasy and the shrimp looked old and probably came frozen from Costco....and they charge $24 for two nasty tacos. Service is slow...you order at a counter now. Anyway, just awful. read more

It's was alright nothing special food was decent $150 for 4 people 4 hamburgers n fries 2 teas and 2 waters No alcohol so I thought it was a little pricey read more

FYI: they're now flying a Blue Lives Matter flag out front. We used to like to sit on the couch and eat a nice steak. But the couch is gone, counter and counter service is apparently here to stay. I will second the reviewer who said: "My advice to Malones is if you want to charge a premium, deliver a premium service and quality of food. The chalk menu and order at the counter style does not match your price point." read more

I went to Malone's during a work trip to Scott's Valley. I got something to go as I had to get back to my room to prep for my appointment the next day. I was quite happy to see a very nice looking Prime Rib sandwich and ordered that with a side salad. I ordered and the server directed me to the bar to wait. I am a Bourbon lover so when I saw an old fashioned on the specialty drink menu I jumped at it. To my surprise the drink special was $20.00 which is outrageous. Clearly I paid for this out of my own pocket. I very much enjoyed the Prime Rib Sandwich, but downgraded the score for this restaurant solely on their insane drink prices. I would go here again, but won't ever get a drink. read more

We saw a band play here last Friday night, and I loved the ambiance. That being said, I was unimpressed with the service and the food. While it was a Friday night, the establishment was buzzing but not packed. While the waitress was nice, she was hard to get a hold of. After twenty minutes, we finally placed our drink order. Another twenty minutes later, I asked about our drinks (one wine and a hard kombucha), she said the bar was backed up (it wasn't). In fact, at that moment, my friend left to buy the band singer a beer. She returned with his drink right around the time our drinks showed up. She confirmed the bar was not busy. I appreciated the affordable wine selection, and hard kombucha offerings. But, this was a small pour of wine. As a lactose-intolerant pescatarian, I felt a little underwhelmed by the food selection. Hoping for something flavorful and fun, I decided to order the poke nachos. A small bowl of greasy chips arrived: adorned with a few dollops of a tuna and avocado melody. My friends ordered the Brussel sprouts. I tried a bite, but stopped because I realized they had bacon!!!!!!! Also, they were doused in an off-putting sweet sauce that did not mesh well with the vegetables. My Boyfriend ordered some thai tacos that were delivered in a lettuce leaf. They were meager for the price and unappetizing. The only other things I could order would be an impossible burger or the fish tacos? I guess I could try those things next time? I would definitely return if a band played, because I appreciated the ambiance. But the food, drinks and service were not anything to write home about. I would give it a 2.5 stars. read more

Been thinking if I should write a review or not but I hope management reads these and works to improve because I think there is so much potential. The back patio and fire pits are a really sweet vibe and a great place to have a meal and a drink with friends or family. There is also a bar and seating inside which was cool. I would gladly return to the patio but let me touch upon a few areas they should consider. Many different menu options written on chaulk boards, first thing I see is $18 tacos... I start laughing and understand why I haven't been eating here before. Everything was priced at about $18 including the chicken sandwich I ordered from a gentleman behind the counter. I also ordered a German style beer and my total came out to $27. My friends ordered at the counter after me and we sat in the cool patio. My beer was brought out shortly after but I was very surprised when it was served in what seemed like a 12 ounce glass resembling a soda can. In Germany German beers are drank by the liter lol. My friends are both brought their food first and I wait patiently for my $18 chicken sandwich. It took a few minutes for them to the bring mines which is odd because I order before they even did. Anyways I love chicken sandwiches and was pretty disappointed by their version. Bread wasn't good, chicken was hard and dry, also it was in many pieces that fell out as I ate. My friends girl didn't even finish the tacos and my other friend didn't finish the brisket burger. My advice to Malones is if you want to charge a premium, deliver a premium service and quality of food. The chalk menu and order at the counter style does not patch your price point. I would also think about making all the plates look "Instagram" worthy if you will. You have it going with the stamped buns but some of the burgers and sandwiches were very sloppy and looked like they were not made with care. Lastly beer should be sold by the pint. No hard feelings but I wont be back. read more

Sweet server that knew nothing about the menu and sent us to the owner. The owner walked away and had the server take our order, but couldn't answer questions about items, then forgot to put one of our items in the computer! The total showed that we paid for it, but she printed a receipt showing we didn't. WHAT!? Someone brought it out, but then she said "at least it was free!" Weird. The chicken sandwich was almost good...it was just dry, meaning it was cooked at too high of a temperature. The burgers were NOT good! If they are truly award-winning (as the owner said), the judge was drunk. YUCK! Medium hamburger was served rare. 2 of us ordered burgers and both felt nauseous from them! They were overprice for what they were. The owner said they use 3 types of meat. Stick to ground beef!!! If you're charging $19 for a burger, at LEAST give a decent amount of fries. OH!!! One more thing...$2 ADDITIONAL to make a burger veggie when veggie costs less?!!?!?? NO! Pretty property and nice employees just can't make up for those burgers! read more

Wow is this place obscenely overpriced. It doesn't take much looking to find equal quality or better food nearly anywhere else. Even downtown Los Gatos has better quality and prices than here. I'm trying to figure out just how they can justify those prices surrounded by so many other great options. The atmosphere is meh, the food is average and the prices are completely out of control. Takeout the other night: Two burgers and an order of onion rings, plus tax, plus tip $63. Hmmm. What would bring me back there? Either a massive step up in food quality that leaves me craving it and/or dropping prices by about 40% to match the quality of the food there. read more

Great food and fun atmosphere! They had a live band which played some great classic rock, we had one of their specialty burgers, and so.e sides. The spicy margaritas was also great! The ordering process was tricky- they're trying to use the yelp app, but it wasn't working. We ended up going inside and ordering from the counter and that was smooth. The owner.mingled around making sure everyone was enjoying themselves- he really seemd to want to know and thanked us when we left. read more

I really enjoyed the food and fun atmosphere here, but I was a little concerned when I began to notice that not a single one of their staff members were wearing masks, even though there is a county-wide mask mandate in effect. What I did notice was that they were proudly flying a large Blue Lives Matters Flag and numerous American Flags in and around the business, and all of their employees are wearing Malones shirts with American Flags printed in the back. We saw no signs indicating that masks are required, and I noticed numerous individuals look concerned and unsure if they should wear masks or not. This to me presents a health hazard. This businesses Anti-Mask vibe is clearly a political statement, and is in direct contradiction with the Santa Cruz County Mandate to wear masks indoors, which covers all Cities and towns within the greater Santa Cruz area. Again, I loved the food and atmosphere. The staff were friendly and welcoming. They just need to cut the political crap and get masks on their team for everyone's health and safety. read more

This is a review of the catering coordinator, trying to schedule an event, and not the restaurant. I wouldn't recommend trying to book a large party here. They charge too much per person during the peak dinner hour, fixated on a restaurant buyout, which I communicated during the first call that wasn't an option, and inflexible with the time duration of the meal. They think 2 hours is enough time for pass around appetizers, salad, entree and dessert for 30+ people. Also, when the patio was discussed as an option, it was not communicated early on that the outside space was not covered. The event is at the end of March and it could rain. Coming to the decision that I have to walk away and find another place is deeply disappointing. And from the other reviews I've read here, they should consider improvements, or they will be out of business soon. read more

After a long absence, my husband and I decided to give Malone's another shot. The food was "adequate." The service was just plain awful. A single individual was responsible for seating, taking orders, bartending and serving... 25 minute wait for our first drink. The employee tried valiantly and we appreciated his efforts. This is clearly a management problem. What an utter shame. Finally, although I may have not noticed this before, the restaurant does not appear to be handicap accessible. read more

It's been awhile since I've dined here, happy to say I get the experience was very improved. I was very happy with the new additions to the menu. Look forward to trying more of them. Staff was sooo nice and attentive. Drinks, we only had beers but drinks were always quality here. If you haven't been here in awhile its definitely worth giving another try. read more

Dead fly in soup-and in the window sill. Do you believe that? I thought it only happened in the movies read more

I found myself craving the brisket burger within a few days of eating it, and that's saying a lot because Bay Area brisket is rarely craveable to me. Onion rings were good, not great, and although I liked how fried the brussels sprouts were, they were absolutely drowned in sweet sauce. I would've appreciated half the amount of sauce so they would've maintained some crispness. FH's fish & chips were really good with a generous portion, but we had a lot of trouble getting malt vinegar to eat with it from our server/s. You shouldn't even serve fish & chips if you're not going to put malt vinegar on the table right alongside the ketchup for the chips. The outdoor seating area amongst the trees and with several patio heaters and a couple of firepits is really wonderful, and live music makes for the perfect date night. Service was okay - it's not something I generally even mention unless it's really good or really bad, but I was a little irritated by how much work it was to get condiments. Would 100% come back for the brisket burger and I'd get myself fries next time! read more

Based on our experience this past Wednesday, We must return to Malone's and have the Hitchcock Burger. We arrived shortly after 12:00noon, and were greeted warmly by Leeann. At our request, she immediately led us to the patio. Improvements have been made and a very comfortable space. The Hitchcock Burger more than lives up to its description. I ordered medium rare and it definitely delivered. The French fries were perfect and even remained crisp after cooling. Leeann was our Hostess and waitress. May be still short-staffed but they are working hard. We will be back and strongly recommend you give them a chance. Thanks Leeann, the Chef, and the rest of the staff, you delivered. Thank you Done. read more

Malone's Grille - Hitchcock Burger at Malone's. - American Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

So tonight My wife and I went out to dinner to Malone's in Scots Valley. We had eaten there in November for our anniversary and it was awesome!!!!!! We couldn't wait to return. So we got there right when they opened and got the table for four right next to the fireplace. After we ordered the waitress said sorry but we had to move because that table was reserved. I said I thought you could only make reservations for 8 people or more. She said it was reserved for a party of 8 and she moved us to another table. An hour and a half later as we left, that table was still empty. Let me start by saying my sandwich(The Fred) was delicious as were the truffle fries. And that's all the good I can say about tonight's dinner. We ordered a side of onion rings that were so burnt we had to send them back. I can't believe anyone could have looked at them and thought they were acceptable to serve to a guest(especially for $10). They did give us a new batch that was borderline burnt but we ate them anyway. My wife's brisket sandwich was so dry, you could have used it for the soles of your shoes. And if that wasn't bad enough, the bread was so stale it was almost inedible. The first time we ate here I would have given it a 5 star rating and recommend it to anyone. After tonight(and an $80 tab for two sandwiches, two beers and a side of onion rings) I'd give it a 2 stars at best and don't see us ever going back.... read more

Thought we would give it another try!We waited 25+ minutes for waiter. The overhead music was horrific with the homies getting down? Really for a burger & steak restaurant? I politely requested from the waiter 2x to please turn down their selection of music. What happened to easy listening? Very young staff everything moves very slow. Overheard another couple questioning the added 4% surcharge added on their bill to cover employee costs?? No thanks I leave a generous tip for those that provide great service. The AC blasting wear a sweater it's pretty chilly in the dining room. We waited 30 plus minutes for our appetizer with only 1 other couple in dining room... our appetizer for chicken wings and and two shortened cocktails are almost $50+ Pretty disappointed we will definitely not ever come back! read more

We found this little gem on a day trip to the lower Santa Cruz mountains. It was open for indoor dinning and the food looks delish. We they didn't disappoint. It's a cute smaller restaurant/bar with 24 (think (maybe more) beers on tap. We sat near the cozy fire place and watch both the March madness and warrior games as we sipped her tea and my Mexican Coffee. My drink was well made and our meal was fresh and plentiful. We shared a bowl of homemade clam chowder and each have the Cobb salad. The chicken on the salad was so tasty and the salad was huge. We later takes with the owner who where a lovely friendly couple. It was a very pleasant experience all the around. I will return and highly recommend it if you are in the area. Unfortunately, I was so hungry I ate before I remembered to take a picture, but the food presentation was nicely don as well. read more

I'd be happy to share my thoughts about this place! While I really enjoy the atmosphere of their outdoor patio and the live music they sometimes have, I can't say the same about their food. I've found the portions to be disappointing and the prices to be quite high. Although I hope that they eventually bring in a talented chef to improve the menu, I'm hesitant to give them a five-star rating at this time. Nonetheless, I do recommend stopping by for a drink and some ambiance. As a Scotts Valley resident myself, I appreciate having this option nearby. read more

Fresh food, great drinks, free live band with a lovely patio! Can't wait to come back!!! Hidden gem! read more

See all

Hello Scotts Valley friends! I wanted to give a big shout out to Malone's Bar and Grill. I met a friend for dinner and we had the best dining experience! The bartender was so friendly and attentive. Our server was wonderful, checking in with us, making sure we were taken care of. The food....amazing! Everything was so delicious and cooked to perfection. I highly recommend the new Malones! It's so hard to run a restaurant business nowadays but I see these folks are really trying and succeeding. Give them a try! read more

Desperate for burgers I googled burgers nearby not wanting to drive far yesterday evening. WOW just wow the burgers at the place are outstanding! My husband and I had theGrinch and White diamond burgers with a side dish of Brussel sprouts which were the B O M B. Fries were excellent and my margarita was outstanding and quite strong. We will be going back as the food was all 5 stars. I did get to meet one of the owners and she was so nice, they bought this place 5 years ago and so impressive what she and her husband have done with this place. I feel like they are struggling though with some staff, a pandemic side dish of nobody wants to go back to work. We had one rude girl out on patio but the hostess, 2 girls and a bus person were so chill friendly and awesome it more than made up :-) read more

A "surcharge" was added to the bill when we got the printout. that "surcharge" was not on the digital instrument we signed! so we were not signing the right bill. Malones should be ashamed! We will not return!!!!! read more

Food was a warm sandwich that was cold. Meal was served without napkins or utensils. Requested a second beverage and finished eating before it came. Server was slow and careless. Won't be back. read more

I heard there were new owners and had to come check it out. Wow, what a pleasant surprise. Service was good, and the food was good. Brussel sprouts were off the hook. The French dip was so good, the only thing was that it would of been nice if it was toasted. We will definitely be back! read more

Almost didn't stop here to eat after browsing some of the most recent reviews. We wanted to stop and eat to wait for traffic to subside heading back to the East Bay. We decided to try Malones. We looked for the thin blue line flag recent reviews complained of. There was none. Every server both male and female with long hair had their hair tied back. Service was excellent. The food coming out of the kitchen was pretty slow but they were very busy. The Falcon burger was delicious. One of the best burgers I've had. Makes me wonder about the recent reviews I've read. You can check my other reviews. This review is legit and I would absolutely recommend this place. read more

The good = the food The bad = everything else When I first walked in I literally said "holy sh*t" out loud. The look, the vibe, the colors, the furniture, the lack of anything on the walls was horrible. 1/2 walls painted blue followed by stark white walls with nothing on them, reminds me of a 1940s mental institution or a prison. We were seated at a dirty table, and it took way too long for a kid to come wipe it off. We placed our Drink order and after way too long the server came back saying that they are out of the beer i ordered and also said that they only have a few beers left. Ok, bring me what you have. I ordered the fish and chips off the specials menu and then was told that they were out. I asked about the steaks which were all listed as *Market price. The 14 ounce rib eye was $110. So I ordered a burger. I'm sorry but if you are going to have an institutional look at your restaurant, and your staff is young kids wearing whatever they feel like that day, you can't change $110 for a steak. Lastly, if you are taking my order, write it down. You are not impressing me with your memory, in fact you are stressing me out because I don't want to send my food back because there was a glitch when you told my order to the chef. Once the food came it, it was very good. My suggestion is to get someone to design the dining room with knowledge of not only how things look, but how sound moves throughout the space. Some fabric or canvas would help reduce how much sound bounces around the room. 2. Figure out if you are going to be a beer and burgers place, or an upscale steak house and follow one path or the other. read more

Malone's has really become one of our new favorite places around for amazing burgers, sandwiches and fish tacos. Growing up in the area, this establishment is wasn't always the most exciting. Clearly the new owners have transformed the place in a way I didn't realize until recently. The Heisenburg, the avocado fries and the fish tacos. Amazing. Amazing. Did I mention the they are amazing? We ordered this trio just a couple nights ago...and then had to get it all again tonight...I wonder what we are going to get this weekend.... read more

Malone's Grille - The Heisenburg - American Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

We've been to Malone's before and absolutely loved it, but we are sad that we will not be returning. They are on their 3rd owner, and service has really gone down hill. We waited 40 minutes for an appetizer. They never came to check on us, we had to find the waiter to ask about our order. Disappointing experience. read more

No real complaints from me. My friends and I decided to stop here after visiting the Art and Wine festival in Scott's Valley. The restaurant didn't seem too busy, but there was a fair amount of guests and we were seated after a short 10-15 minute wait. The restaurant looks like it's been around for quite some time. The interior looks like your average bar and grill. Upon waking in, there's a decently long bar with barstools with a good variety of beers, liquors, and cocktails to choose from. We decided to be seated outside as the weather was beautiful and it was warm out. They even had a live band playing on the patio (Saturday night). On the patio area, they even had fire pit tables lit, once it got darker. The staff here are very friendly as well and provided good, speedy service all evening. The menu was simple, has good amount of options, without being extensive. I do however think that it is slightly overpriced, but not by much and is still acceptable. Everyone in the group ordered burgers except for me. I don't remember anyone from the group, complaining about their burger. I had the 10oz skirt steak with a side order of truffle fries. The steak was tender, very juicy, and delicious, but I can't say that it was anything special. The truffle fries were really good. Most of the time, when I order truffle fries, I can barely taste the truffle, but this was not the case with these truffle fries. There was the perfect amount of salt, with just the right amount of truffle flavor (finished the fries before I finished my steak). I was dedicated driver for the day, so I didn't get a chance to try the cocktails, however my group definitely ordered some and enjoyed them. While I really wish I could give this place 5 stars, it's really hard for me to as this isn't a restaurant I would go out of my way for. It was delicious, but as mentioned, it wasn't anything special. But if you're in the area, it's worth visiting if you're looking for a decent meal. I'd definitely stop by again, if I was. read more

Malone's Grille - 10oz Skirt steak - American Near Me - Scotts Valley, California

See all